Ray White Queensland calls for network-wide shift to navigate evolving market

The event served as a strategic rally, focused on equipping agents with the cutting-edge knowledge and actionable skills necessary to excel in a rapidly shifting real estate landscape.

The event, which came as the network positioned itself for the new financial year, underscored the collective ambition of the market leader.

Ray White Queensland CEO Jason Andrew used the event to deliver a clear message to his network: the market has changed and business strategies and energy must evolve to match it.

"We have seen an extraordinary ride over the past six years, with market value increasing by 250 per cent," Jason said. "However, volume has plateaued at approximately 130,000 transactions. Stock volume is trending down, and if we do not make the necessary adjustments now, we will all be in a worse position. The days of short-cutting must stop."

Addressing the network, Jason emphasised that the easy market conditions that characterised recent years have shifted, requiring a return to the fundamentals of real estate, specifically, proactive prospecting and consistent communication. He noted that while market sentiment has shifted, the role of the agent has never been more critical.

"We need to get in front of more people. Our appraisal numbers have fallen, and we are not having the necessary conversations about what is actually happening in the market," Jason said.

"Days on market are increasing and the best agents are those who combine prospecting and processing simultaneously. We must stop referring to these as 'difficult conversations' and start ensuring we are delivering the informed, educated advice our customers need."

A central pillar of the new strategy is a move away from "no-price" sales methods, such as express sales or negotiations, in favor of a commitment to price transparency and auction-led strategies.

Ray White Queensland wants to reinforce its commitment to "competition creators," a term the group trademarked to describe its approach to generating genuine buyer interest.

"We need to offer a price or an auction, with no middle ground," Jason said.

"This market is specific. Information expires almost as quickly as milk in the fridge, and comparable sales from the past no longer reflect current motivations. We must use the language of current sales to reflect the market as it exists today."

Despite the challenges of a shifting market, the outlook remains optimistic. Jason highlighted strong fundamentals, including high population growth, low building activity, and a healthy pipeline. He challenged the network to view the current climate as an opportunity to demonstrate superior value to clients who have a genuine need to sell.

"The lifecycle of any business shows that the decline is four times faster than the incline," Jason said.

"You can follow the market into decline, or you can make the appropriate changes now. Today is about learning new skills and changing the way we operate to ensure we have our best year ever."

At age 20, Emma Carey (pictured above) was fulfilling her dream of traveling Europe when her life changed in an instant during a skydiving accident in the Swiss Alps.
“We were flying high above the Alps... I remember thinking to myself 'remember this moment',” she said.
The initial free-fall brought an unexpected sense of calm. “I can honestly say it was one of the best moments of my life... I was exactly where I was meant to be.”
That daydream rapidly turned into a nightmare when the free-fall didn't stop. Though the parachute deployed slightly, they were still plummeting straight down.
“I had the crystal clear knowledge that I was certain I was going to die. And at that moment I thought I had wasted my life,” Emma said.
“All the things you thought you would do later - would never arrive. As I was falling, I wondered what death would feel like. I can remember the fear, and the strength I felt to live.”
The impact was immediate.
“The next minute, I'm lying face down on the ground with an unconscious man strapped to my back. I knew it was up to me to go and find help... When I went to roll him off me, I had the most brutal and heartbreaking realisation of my entire life. I couldn't move my legs. At all.” For Emma, it was her first encounter with an irreversible situation. There was no way to erase the damage or go back in time. Her pelvis, teeth, and spine were broken. Doctors subsequently diagnosed her as a paraplegic, telling her she would never walk again.
“I was terrified, and I was paralysed. All I wanted was the ability to walk again! My life was perfect two minutes before and I didn’t even know.”
Against the odds, Emma defied her prognosis.
“I am now extremely great at walking again. I have defied the odds. And my doctors are shocked too. I put it down to the special way my spinal cord was damaged, and luck.”
While she notes that her spinal cord injury still affects her every day, the near-death experience completely transformed her perspective.
Before the accident, Emma describes herself as "paralysingly shy" and lacking passion. Surviving the unsurvivable gave her an immense appreciation for existence and a powerful message for others.
“But you all have time and you still have time. Who would you run to? What would you choose to change? Don't wait until you nearly die to start living,” Emma urged. “I still had the rest of my life to live, whether or not I was on my feet.”
Her final takeaway serves as a profound reminder of life's fragility: “Don’t wait for things to be perfect. If you can, you must. If there is something you desire to do, you must. We all think we have forever, but what if it doesn't.”
Opportunities don’t always last forever, she said.

Ray White Group executive Thomas McGlynn offered his insights to the Queensland members by saying “high performance is personal, but great performance is collective”.

"Consumer expectations are at an all-time high, and those who can stick together en masse will win, as we are always better together. And we have an amazing culture here at Ray White," said Thomas McGlynn, who has more than 21 years' experience in the industry.

"If the bar is going to be raised in Queensland, it may as well be us. Do we choose the standards, or do we choose to slip back into mediocrity?

"High performance will drive us forward, but we need to do it together. I am so lucky to be at Ray White, we are in such a great position here.

"When the market gets tough, there is a tendency for people to think they can go it alone, but you must resist that at all costs, as we all set the culture.

"When we bring the whole team together, and the way will dominate into the future, we have to invest deeply in our culture at Ray White."

Thomas also reminded everyone to pay it forward. "It's a simple concept. Give before expecting back. If we can learn to come together as an organisation for the next year, we will be stronger together.

"So ask what you can do to pay it forward to help someone else, as high performance is a choice."

“It's about choosing to be a high performer. If you change your thoughts, you will change your results. You don't rise to your goals, you fall to your standards.

"Keep yourself accountable when no one is looking, it's the standards that you set for yourself that will help you grow: preparation, learning, accountability, self-awareness, follow-up, learning, consistency, raising the bar. The standards that you keep will help you keep driving forward. What are your standards? Do you hold yourself to them?

"The market is not the reason you are not performing right now, it's what you are telling yourself. At some point, your reasons become your results.

"The negative thoughts you tell yourself are dangerous. Negative thoughts can internalise, and it will get to you over the long haul.”

Ray White Queensland’s Head of High Performance, Wellbeing and Culture, Andrew Crowell, drew on his 25-year elite sports career - including nine years with the Brisbane Lions - to share performance insights.

Reflecting on his 2017 transition to a struggling Lions team, he noted, "Energy had to come before success."

Andrew highlighted clear parallels between sport and real estate, emphasising that high performance requires disciplined preparation, sustained energy, and intentional recovery.

"Success doesn’t just happen; it leaves clues," he said. He urged the network to focus on "small controllables," adapt goals to market shifts, and prioritise habits over mere ambition: "We don’t rise to the level of our goals; we fall to the level of our habits."

He urged the network to focus on "small controllables," adapt goals as the market shifts, and maintain high standards. "We don’t rise to the level of our goals; we fall to the level of our habits," he said, adding that adopting a growth mindset is the ultimate opportunity for professional evolution.

“Charge your batteries up as your energy must come from you, not your success.”

The Queensland property market has entered a completely different phase compared to six months ago.
While year-on-year metrics show historically strong markets, the ground is actively shifting. According to Ray White Chief Economist Nerida Conisbee, navigating today's landscape requires balancing a notable slowdown in buyer sentiment against a chronic shortage of housing supply.
Domestically, the Federal Budget has injected fresh friction.
“With negative gearing rules being overhauled so they no longer apply to existing properties, the investment landscape has fundamentally shifted,” Nerida said. “The Federal Budget will have an impact on the market, especially on investors. It is impacting the demand side, but it doesn't change the fact that we are not building enough houses.”
Data reveals open home attendance has halved across Queensland over the past six months.
“The downturn is apparent... It is probable we will see month-on-month declines,” Nerida said. Cheaper areas initially grew from first-home buyers using the 5 per cent deposit scheme, but that momentum cooled following three interest rate hikes earlier this year.
“In contrast, the premium end of the spectrum has felt the deceleration most acutely,” Nerida said.
“The weaker markets have been the luxury markets.”
Predicting a sharp drop in values remains highly uncertain due to a lack of supply.
“Will prices fall? We can’t be sure,” Nerida said.
“Even if we see a 10 per cent correction, it only takes Brisbane back to mid-last year. Whether or not it will happen - probably not.”

Instead of a severe crash, market liquidity will shrink. “The number of transactions is likely to shrink and it will be harder to get deals over the line,” Nerida said.

However, interstate migration to affordable hubs and high construction costs will support existing home values. “The cost to build will continue to support the value of existing homes,” Conisbee said. Ultimately, tenants will hit hardest: rental listings have begun to drop again as investors exit the market. Rents are set to rise rapidly”.

Restaurateur Ty Simon of the Anyday Group talked about delivering a world-class customer experience.

Since opening LONgTIME in 2014, Ty Simon has expanded Anyday Group into a prominent Brisbane-based collective of eight distinct restaurants, bars, and a bakery. Co-founded alongside his wife Bianca Marchi, Ben Williamson, and Frank Li, the group has become a cornerstone of Brisbane's culinary culture, delivering hospitality experiences rooted in warmth, integrity, and humility.

The Anyday philosophy centres on empowering people to offer something truly unique. Ty believes a genuine, warm connection is the foundation of success, treating every guest with the same respect whether they're spending $50 or $500. This culture of "random acts of hospitality" ensures every diner's experience is impactful and memorable.

Central to this world-class service is a deep investment in the team. Ty said his people were the group's most important asset, a belief he puts into practice every Sunday night by personally serving the entire staff a family meal. By prioritising team and guest experience over strict KPIs like head-spend, Anyday Group has fostered a culture where excellence and results flow naturally from genuine human connection.

The real estate landscape has fundamentally shifted, and according to Mark McLeod, Chief Strategy Officer (real estate) at Ray White, blaming external forces is no longer an option. “Everything has changed - this is a completely different business, we are challenging agents to stop looking backward,” Mark said.
“The hardest thing we have to do is get the thought of the past out of our heads. For many of us, we sit back and blame the market, but we use that as an excuse.”
Today’s buyers operate in a reality devoid of visible marketplace frenzy.
“What has changed is the experience for our buyers. They don't see the energy - they see property reductions,” he said. To survive, Mark introduced an ultimatum: FAT - Forget, Adapt, Thrive.
“Forget - stop thinking where we have come from, and that the market is going to change. We are here for years,” he emphasised.
Mark strongly condemns withdrawing properties from auctions out of fear or pride.
“The reason agents withdraw properties from auctions is emotional; it’s how you think you will look if it doesn’t sell. Stop being non-professional,” he said.
“In this marketplace, we need methods and tools to move the vendor, to move the purchaser - private treaty doesn't do that. When you get a listing, the biggest mistake is withdrawing the auction.”
Success relies on managing seller expectations, he said.
“Buyers do not create the sale in this marketplace - it’s vendors,” Mark said.
Anticipating major events like REOO, his directive was clear: “you should be doubling your prospecting”.
“Agents must ask two weekly questions: What have I done this week to bring a property to sale? Is your marketplace seeking YOU out?”

Ray White Queensland Chief Operating Officer Gavin Croft wants real estate agents to confront a crucial question: “When we talk about commission - what are you worth?”
Gavin believes agents compromise their value too quickly.
An internal survey of Ray White Queensland agents revealed the primary culprit behind dropping fees - fear.
“The absolute biggest killer was that we feared losing listings,” Gavin said.
“You either go in to win a listing, or you have a fear of losing the listing. The one thing we know when talking to home sellers, is that they smell conviction a mile away.”
According to Gavin, avoiding the discount trap requires a mix of preparation, confidence, and deep market knowledge.
“Sellers will gravitate to an agent with market knowledge,” he said. “What insights are we providing that help make good decisions? It’s the ultimate value driver.”
He noted that top-tier agents possess the comfortability to firmly guide clients.
“When we challenge them and take them through the journey, and they see what we see, it changes the game,” Gavin said.
Gavin drew a firm line in the sand regarding the agency's premium identity, pointing to the power of NurtureCloud and their dedicated economics and media teams.
“Ray White is not a discount brand,” Gavin said.
“We need to understand how we articulate the value we provide to the client. We have to be right on top of our game. And that is when we start to win.”
Failing to defend fees carries dangerous consequences during a market shift.
“Discounting is a race to the bottom. Low margin/discount agents and agencies do not survive downtime... When markets tighten, skill gaps get exposed.
“Ray White are market leaders and we need to lead this change... Sellers will demand more from agents in the next 12 months - it is time to reset.”